Prosperity
by Ghostwriter
Summary: AU Jimmy and Lou run into trouble when they go to pick up a misdelivered package.
1. Chapter 1

PROSPERITY

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

This is my take on the first season episode "Hard Time" which was the episode where Kid got arrested on trumped up charges and sentenced to work in a field. This is an alternate universe story in which Kid never joined the Pony Express and Jimmy was the first to find out Lou was a girl. The others as well as Jimmy know Lou's real identity, though Teaspoon doesn't. Young Riders belongs to MGM Studios, Ogiens/Kane Company, and ABC. I only own the plot and any unknown characters. I know in the regular series, Emma called Teaspoon "Mr. Spoon", but I'm going to have her call him "Mr. Hunter".

"Rider comin'!" William F. Cody's voice rang out and the others exited the station house as Ike McSwaine came galloping up. Ike gave a pouch to Buck Cross, who marshaled his horse which took off. Teaspoon came out, followed by Emma Shannon, and the other riders came to attention.

"Boys, I need someone to go into a town called Prosperity. A package was supposed to come in but got delivered there by accident," the man told them.

"I'll go," Jimmy and Louise "Lou" McCloud chorused. They looked at each other and laughed. Shortly after joining the Pony Express, Jimmy and Lou had been on a ride together when Lou had gotten shot. Jimmy had then taken her into a house to check her injury, discovering that she was a girl. At first, he had been enraged, shouting at her for risking herself in such a way, but he had nevertheless promised to keep her secret.

"Shoot for it?" Jimmy asked with a grin.

"Waste of lead. Let's just go," Lou answered. Jimmy nodded and they both got their horses and then took off. Buck, Cody, and Ike shook their heads.

"You know, sometimes I still can't believe she's a girl," Cody muttered.

That's because she rides, works, fights, and shoots just as well as any man. Maybe better, Ike signed.

"I'll say," Buck agreed.

"Just think, if we hadn't followed her and Jimmy when she went after her brother and sister, we **still** wouldn't know she was a girl," Cody said softly.

"Those two work rather well together, don't you think, Mr. Hunter?" Emma queried.

"Yes, I reckon they do," Teaspoon answered. Then, "Don't you boys have other work to do?" Grumbling, Cody, Ike, and Buck went separate ways. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Lou were riding at a leisurely pace.

"'Prosperity'. I have a good feeling about a town with a name like that," Jimmy commented.

"I don't know, Jimmy. Things ain't always as they appear," Lou reminded. Jimmy looked at her. This wasn't the first time he had heard the girl talk like this and he gathered that she had seen some pretty horrible things, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what. After several hours, they finally reached the town entrance. **PROSPERITY: The Friendliest Town in the Territory** read the sign. They rode in, hitched their horses to a pole, and then headed off. As they walked towards the post office, the two riders noticed instead of looking at them as they walked by, that the townspeople merely looked at the ground. Jimmy and Lou looked at each other. _ This place is weird_, Lou thought. _Okay, I think I have to take back my good feeling_, Jimmy thought to himself.

"This place gives me the chills," Jimmy stated, subtly moving closer to Lou and putting his hand on his Pear-Handled Navy Colt.

"Let's just get to the post office," Lou said.

"Right," Jimmy agreed and then continued until they found the post office. Then, they walked in.

"Can I help you?" the man at the desk asked.

"You accidentally received a package meant for Teaspoon Hunter," Lou replied.

"We've come to retrieve it," Jimmy responded.

"Ah, yes. It's right here," the man said, reaching underneath the desk and then placing the package onto the counter.

"How much?" Jimmy questioned. The man gave them the total and the boy pulled it out and gave him the money.

"All right. I guess we can go," Lou said.

"Yeah. The sooner the better," Jimmy agreed. Just then, they heard someone crying out in pain and fear.

"What the heck?" Lou asked, turning around. _That doesn't sound good_, she thought.

"Beats me," Jimmy replied, as he un-holstered his gun. They rushed out and to their surprise; a boy around their age was being dragged through the streets, tied to the back of a wagon and a team of horses.

"What in the world?" Lou asked and they immediately unfastened their horses and chased after the boy. The boy whimpered in pain as the horses continued down the street.

"Come on, we gotta hurry!" At Jimmy's urging, Lou encouraged her horse to go faster. Then, she pulled out her gun and aimed at the rope tied to the wagon. The boy grunted as he was suddenly stopped. _Ow_, he thought. This was **definitely** going to leave a mark. Jimmy bent down, grabbed the boy, put him on the back of his horse, and started off. The boy grunted in pain with every trot even though Jimmy tried to be as gentle as possible. Suddenly, there was a shot!


	2. Chapter 2

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

DayDreamer P.: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. That's true. She wasn't. I think as the show went on, it become more and more obvious she was a girl (developmentally-wise if you know what I mean) so they had more people find out and gave her more opportunities to wear dresses. Thank you. Well, I ain't done with him yet.

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks. Well, keep on reading and see. Here's another chap. Thanks.

Brankell: Well, I hope you like what I do with it in this fic.

DISCLAIMER

Young Riders belongs to MGM Studios, Ogiens/Kane Company, and ABC. I only own the plot and any unknown characters. I made up the name of the sheriff. I use one scene from the actual ep.

Immediately, Jimmy and Lou stopped, each pulling out their guns. Behind him, Jimmy felt the boy stiffen. He turned and was surprised to see the utter terror on the boy's face. Then, he turned back to stare at a short, Caucasian man with thinning blonde hair with hazel eyes. The man was dressed in a gray and black suit with a white shirt and a black necktie.

"Kid, get off that horse now," the man commanded.

"And who are you?" Lou asked.

"My name is Deforest Whitcomb," the man replied as he pointed his gun at them. "And you two have my son," he continued, un-cocking the safety. The boy addressed as Kid looked at the man anxiously. _I-I can't risk them_, he thought to himself. Grunting with some pain, Kid started to climb off of Jimmy's horse. Seeing this, Lou grabbed his arm.

"You don't have to do what he says," she told him.

"Yeah…I do," came the soft response. He finished dismounting and headed for the man.

"Now then, Sheriff, arrest these two for trying to kidnap my boy," Deforest ordered. The sheriff moved towards them and before anyone could stop him, Jimmy reached over and smacked Lou's horse on the rump with his gun, causing the animal to whinny shrilly and dash off. _There. At least she'll be safe now_, he thought to himself. There was no way he'd let these men get their hands on her. The sheriff started for her but Jimmy pulled on his horse's reins and rushed at him. The man retaliated by pointing his gun at the rider.

"Back up now, boy," the sheriff demanded. Jimmy clicked his tongue at his horse and instantly, the animal began walking backwards.

"Don't worry, boy. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Jimmy murmured, patting his pet's head reassuringly. He continued to back up until he was told to stop.

"Now get off your horse." Again, Jimmy did as he was told. "Sheriff?"

"You're going to work, boy." With that, the sheriff grabbed Jimmy and dragged him away. Meanwhile, Lou had finally reached the way station in Sweetwater.

"Rider, comin'!" a man yelled.

"It's Lou," Buck noted.

"What's he comin' that way for?" Cody wondered. The girl stopped her horse and headed for Teaspoon's office.

"Teaspoon, is Sam at the jail?" she queried.

"You don't even give me a hello?" the man asked. "And where's my package."

"It's still in Prosperity, but we have bigger problems and I need the Marshal," came the response. Teaspoon frowned when he realized how serious the girl was.

"What happened, Son?" he queried.

"We were in town, we had just gotten the package when we heard this shout, went outside and saw this boy being dragged through the street by a couple of horses. When we released him, the sheriff and this man claiming to be the boy's father came up and they accused us of trying to kidnap him. They got Jimmy," she replied.

"All right. I'll go get the Marshal. You just take care of your horse," Teaspoon instructed.

"Yes, Sir," Lou replied. Then, she went to the stable. As she did so, Cody, Ike, and Buck followed her.

"What's going on, Lou?" Cody asked.

Can we help? Ike asked.

"We should wait for Sam. See what he says," Lou responded.

"You're not usually one to wait," Cody commented.

"It's just that town-it's downright spooky," Lou responded. Buck stared at the girl through concerned and narrowed eyes. In the time he had known Lou-s a boy and a girl-the rider had never been one to scare easily, so if she was saying that a town was spooky, things were worse than they thought. Meanwhile, in Prosperity, Jimmy and Kid had been lead to a field and then left.

"Just watch me and do as I do," Kid told him. Jimmy nodded. Kid lifted the ax over his head and swung expertly. Then, Jimmy did the same. The two boys repeated the motion. This went on for several minutes. Presently, the sheriff came out and walked over to them. Jimmy watched as Kid tensed. _Well, this can't be good_, the pony express rider thought to himself.

"Sheriff Richards," Kid stated.

"Well, it appears our newest recruit can keep up with the rest of us. That's good to see," he approved. Then, his gaze shifted to Kid.

"Whitcomb wants to see you in his office," he said. Kid tensed even more but nodded. Then, he gave his shovel to Jimmy.

"You gonna be all right?"

"I'll be fine." Then, he walked towards the building. The sheriff shoved Jimmy.

"Get back to work." Jimmy did as he was told as the man walked off. Meanwhile, Kid had reached the man's office and walked in.

"Dad, you wanted-" his voice trailed off in surprise when he realized that the man was naked in a tub. "You wanted to see me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from breaking. _Please don't be what I think it is. Please don't be what I think it is_, the boy thought to himself.

"Yeah. I need you to scrub my back," the man answered nonchalantly, holding up a yellow scrubber. Kid blew out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and second finger. "Well? I'm waiting, boy."

"You promised that we wouldn't have to do anything." Whitcomb chuckled.

"I never said anything of the sort, Kid." Kid stared at the scrubber.

"No." Kid stepped back just as the man stood up.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said 'No'. I'm not playing your games." As he answered his father, Kid kept inching towards the door as the man approached him.

"Don't you even think about it, Boy." However, Kid just continued towards the door. Whitcomb lunged in front of the boy, successfully blocking his way out. "That's gonna cost you, Kid." Kid tried for the door, only to be shoved back. Then, the man grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. Kid panted shakily as he was dragged towards the basin.

"W-w-wait, wait! Dad, Dad, I'm sorry!" Kid's protests were in vain as he was finally pushed to a kneeling position. Then, Whitcomb pushed the boy forward so that his head was underwater.

"You're going to fight? Is that it? You want to fight me, Kid? Huh?" he demanded as the boy struggled. Then, he pulled him up and the boy coughed violently. "You through fighting, Boy? Huh?" Kid nodded. "That's a good boy. Turn around." Reluctantly, Kid did as he was told. Then, Whitcomb pressed against him, letting his hands and lips travel all over the boy's body. Kid grunted, his eyes clouding in pain. Whitcomb then lifted Kid's shirt off and pressed against him even more. Then, he unbuttoned the boy's pants and held the boy down. Kid let out an agonized scream, which turned into a sob.


	3. Chapter 3

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Day Dreamer P.: Well, I don't want to end the story **too** soon, lol. Well, this focuses more on the Jimmy/Kid dynamic. You're right about Kid and Whitcomb, but the situation's different in this story and that is explained later. Hope you enjoy this chap.

Brankell: Thanks. Glad you like it. Keep on readin' to see what happens.

Long Live BRUCAS: Yeah, well, he's that type of man. Well, just keep reading and see.

DISCLAIMER

Sorry this took so long, but we're still trying to get things done as we prepare to move and I recently learned that a girl I went to college with passed away, so I wasn't really in the mood to write for a while. Young Riders belongs to MGM Studios, Ogiens/Kane Company, and ABC. I only own the plot and any characters you don't recognize. I use some dialogue from the actual ep.

While this was going on, in Sweetwater, the marshal, Sam Caine, had been apprised of the situation and was questioning a man from another way station.

"Well, I do recall one of my riders having trouble there. He went into the convenience store to buy some supplies and the sheriff arrested him for stealing tobacco," the man replied. "He swore up and down he was innocent though," he continued.

"Was he?" Sam asked.

"He was fairly new. Didn't know him all that well," the man answered. "But you know, I haven't seen him since his arrest."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Sam shared a concerned look with the boys and Lou tensed. _Jimmy_, she thought to herself. Seeing this, Cody put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly and he and the other boys stepped closer to her to offer their support.

"Okay, thank you." The man said goodbye to the marshal and then went back into the way station. Sam and the boys continued on their way, with the boys hanging back far enough that the older man couldn't hear them as they talked.

"I don't like this. I shouldn't have left Jimmy there," Lou murmured.

Jimmy would never forgive himself if you were stuck there, Ike reminded her.

"I know, Ike," Lou sighed. "But I'm still worried." _This is all my fault. I should've told him to let me stay_, she thought to herself.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll get him back," Cody assured.

"That's right. We won't let anything happen to him," Buck added. Sam looked back to see the riders talking amongst themselves. He frowned at Lou's anxious look. _Poor kid looks scared to death. Does he know something?_ Sam wondered. Almost as if they had noticed him staring, the boys fell silent and urged their horses forward. Back in Prosperity, Kid walked out of Whitcomb's office and hurriedly headed for the door, paying no attention to the stares at his rumpled clothing. One of the dealers-a tall woman with wavy blonde hair-quickly approached him.

"What happened? What'd he do to you?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I gotta get back to work," Kid responded.

"Kid," she said, grabbing his arm.

"Leave me alone, Tulsa!" Kid exclaimed, yanking out of her grasp.

"He hurt you," Tulsa realized. She blew out a breath. "Kid…fight him. I know you can." He let out a scornful laugh.

"'Fight him'. That's a good one coming from you," he scoffed. Then, "Tulsa…I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean-" she shook her head.

"It's all right, Kid."

"Besides, you know I can't fight him. He's been raisin' me since I was a boy." Tulsa nodded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She wouldn't exactly call what Whitcomb did to the Kid raising him, but she could understand his fear. Whitcomb was a hard, cruel man as he had often proved. She gave him a quick hug. Kid let out a ragged breath as he let himself revel in her warmth. Tulsa was a Godsend. If it wasn't for her, he was sure he would've snapped a long time ago.

"I better get back to work," he finally said, pulling away. She gave him a sad smile and then he went back to the yard. Jimmy watched as the boy picked up a shovel and started working furiously as an older man with blonde hair paused momentarily to watch him.

"Hey. You all right?" the rider asked.

"Go to Hell," came the emotional response.

"Well, you don't have to get mean," Jimmy muttered and then moved away from the boy. Feeling a light smack on his arm, Jimmy turned to see the older man standing beside him.

"Don't take it personal. Kid always gets that way when Whitcomb…" he paused as if struggling to find the right words. "spends time with him," he finished. Jimmy stared at his blasé tone.

"And you never do anything to help him?" Jimmy asked.

"I've tried! But you don't know Whitcomb like we do," the man responded. Kid glanced at them briefly, but kept working. He didn't need that stupid boy asking him questions. He'd just get himself killed. "I'm Richard," the man continued.

"Jimmy," Jimmy said. Then, all conversation stopped as they continued working. Presently, Sheriff Richards came out to supervise. He smirked at the sight.

"Well, well, well. What a great sight, seeing justice served," he stated. A sharp retort rose to Jimmy's lips, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. The sheriff's gaze turned to Kid.

"I see you spent some time with your Pa," he smirked. Richard and Jimmy watched as Kid's fist clenched. _Don't let 'im rile you. It's just more power games_, Kid reminded himself. The man advanced on him. "I bet you two had a **real** good time, didn't ya?" Kid's eyes flashed, but he remained silent.

"What do you want, Sheriff?" Richard asked, trying to get the man's attention off of his young friend.

"I thought I'd spend some of my own time with the Kid," Sheriff Richards replied stepping even closer to him and Kid stiffened. _Oh, heck, no!_ the younger man thought.

"You know my pa don't like sharin' me," Kid answered. And that was the only good about him.

"I'm sure he'd make an exception just this once," Sheriff Richards said, reaching out a hands towards him. Suddenly, a small rock hit the back of his head. He whipped around, eyes blazing in rage. "Who did that?" No one said a word. He looked around at the workers who had immediately stopped when they had heard the sound. "Who **did** that?" he asked again. Still, no one answered. T man huffed and walked away. Kid visibly relaxed. Then, he continued working. While this was going on, Marshal Caine and the Pony Express Riders had questioned more people and had found out that the town of Prosperity had trouble with people being accused of crimes and arrested and with drifters disappearing.

"And now they got Jimmy," Lou said grimly. _What if they've already killed him and the boy?_ she wondered.

"Don't worry, Lou. We'll get him out," Cody murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder. _Hold on, Jimmy. Help's on the way_, he thought as he and the other riders followed the marshal who sped up. The kids did the same, each one wearing an expression of worry and concern.


	4. Chapter 4

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Yeah, he does. This is true.

DayDreamer P: Yeah, I know, and I'm the one doing it to him. Yeah, poor guy. Yeah, they care, but they're also afraid, as is Kid.

Brankell: Thanks, glad you like it. Thanks. It's hard, but I'm hanging in there.

DISCLAIMER

Young Riders belongs to MGM Studios, Ogiens/Kane Company, and ABC. I only own the plot and any unfamiliar characters.

Several hours later, Sam and the Riders had finally made it to Prosperity. Sam glanced at the citizens through narrowed eyes. _People here are mighty scared of __**somethin**__'_, he realized, noting how the townspeople stared at the ground rather than making eye contact.

"This place sure is spooky," Cody muttered.

"Sure ain't friendly looking," Buck agreed. "You think any of them would be willing to help us find Jimmy?" Lou wondered.

"I doubt it," Sam responded. Presently, a man noticed the group and walked up to them.

"Can I help you folks with anything?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Sam queried.

"That's the sheriff," Lou responded. The man chuckled.

"The boy's correct. I'm the sheriff here. Sheriff Richards," the man introduced himself.

"Where's Jimmy?" Lou asked, starting forward. However, Buck grabbed her arm and shook his head warningly. They didn't want to tip their hand. Lou nodded and Buck released his hold on the girl.

"Jimmy?" Sheriff Richards repeated blankly. Then, "Oh! You mean your partner in your attempted kidnapping of the mayor's son." Lou bristled and was about to charge at him again when Buck once again grabbed her arm, this time tightening his grip.

"Now hold on, Sheriff. You can't just accuse and arrest people with no evidence," Sam reminded.

"I had evidence: Kid was seen riding on the back of his horse," Sheriff Richards replied, pointing to Lou. "What's it to you anyway?" he wondered.

"I'm Marshal Sam Caine," Sam introduced himself. However, he didn't elaborate further.

"Well, like I said Marshal, I found Kid on the back of that boy's horse and they were heading out of town. It was a solid case of kidnapping," Sheriff Richards stated. "Which reminds me, you boy are under arrest for your part in the attempted kidnapping," he continued. He started forward, only to be met with a group of guns pointed at him. "Marshal, are you going to allow these boys to prohibit me from doing my duty?" he queried.

"If anyone should be arrested, it's you! You didn't do nothin' when that boy was bein' dragged through the streets by those horses!" Lou shouted.

"How Mayor Whitcomb chooses to punish his son is none of my business," Sheriff Richards stated.

"Is it your business to arrest people on trumped up charges?" Sam retorted.

"Careful, Marshal. That's a dangerous charge…one that **could** get you killed," Sheriff Richards cautioned, drawing his own gun. _Should I shoot one of the boys or the marshal?_ he wondered. If he shot one of the boys, he ran the risk of being shot by the marshal, who would then most likely continue into town. However, if he took out the marshal, the boys would scatter in fear. The sheriff's grin grew. The marshal it was then. He pointed the gun and stared to fire. However, Sam's shot was quicker. Sheriff Richards' eyes widened in shock. He had been beaten. It was impossible. Sam and the Riders watched as Sheriff Richards tumbled off of his horse.

"What do you want us to do with him, Sam?" Cody wondered.

"Leave him. We lost the element of surprise. The best course of action would be to continue on," Sam responded. The Riders nodded and they followed the man further into town. While this was going on, Jimmy followed Kid into his quarters.

"There's not really a lot of sleeping room, but you can sleep wherever," Kid stated.

"Works for me," Jimmy replied. Then, he went to one side of the small room and lay down, his mind racing with thoughts of escape. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he knew he had to escape. Then, without another word, he lay down on the floor next to Kid and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Whitcomb had just closed a deal with a man from town. He got up out of his chair and headed for the same building Kid, Jimmy, and the other workers were in. He confidently walked past several rooms, until he reached the one last one on the right. He then pulled out a key. In his room, Kid jerked awake when he heard the key in the lock. _No. Not again_, he thought to himself. Jimmy also jerked awake. _This can't be good_, he thought to himself. As the door opened, Kid scooted backwards. _I can't believe Dad's gonna do this tonight_, he thought to himself.

"Whatever you think you're going to do, you'd best just forget it," Jimmy warned. Whitcomb's eyes darkened.

"Don't tell me what to do, boy," he threatened quietly, pulling out a gun. He stepped forward, and Jimmy lunged at him, resulting in a violent struggle. Suddenly, a shot rang out!


	5. Chapter 5

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks, I'm glad you like. Yeah, he was. I think you mean you hope Jimmy **didn't** get shot.

Brankell: Thanks. Wait and see.

DISCLAIMER

Young Riders belongs to MGM Studios, Ogiens/Kane Company, and ABC. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. I use a piece of dialogue from the actual ep.

Hearing the muffled shots, Sam and the Riders turned in the direction the sound had come from and quickly headed towards it. _Jimmy_, Lou thought anxiously. What if he had been shot? _Please don't let us be too late_, Sam thought. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he had lost Jimmy. The boy had become like a son to him. _Hang on, Jimmy. We're coming_, Ike thought. If Jimmy's hurt, someone's gonna pay, Cody silently vowed. _Hang on, Jimmy. We're coming_, Buck encouraged. As they got closer to the building, they could hear the sounds of a struggle. Silently, they all dismounted, un-cocked their guns, and then ran towards the sound. In the room, Jimmy was struggling against Whitcomb, despite the pain in his right shoulder. He wasn't going to let Kid get hurt.

"You're gonna keep me from my boy? Huh! What makes you think you got the right!" Whitcomb roared, punching the boy repeatedly.

"You're sick," Jimmy managed to rasp out. Kid winced as Jimmy was kicked. The boy grunted in pain. Kid stared as the fight continued. What was he supposed to do? Suddenly, Whitcomb was on top of Jimmy and placed the gun on the boy's chest. Before he knew what he was doing, Kid had lunged at Whitcomb, knocking him off of the other boy. The man stared in surprise. Kid was going to fight him again? However, he didn't have time to react before Kid had grabbed the gun and was now pointing it at the man.

"Get up," he ordered.

"Kid-" Whitcomb started to say.

"Get up!" Kid interrupted angrily. Whitcomb did as he was told.

"You don't want to do this, Kid," he stated.

"Like heck I don't," Kid responded.

"Kid," Whitcomb said warningly. Meanwhile, having heard the fight, Sam and the others hurried to the door, and kicked it down. To their surprise, Jimmy was on the ground and a boy was holding a gun on an older man.

"Jimmy," Lou exclaimed and rushed to her friend.

"I'm all right," Jimmy assured her. She ripped the bottom of her shirt off and tied the pieces around Jimmy's shoulder.

"Whitcomb I presume," Sam said, keeping a subtle eye on Jimmy. _That's some mighty quick thinking_, he approved.

"Yes. And who might you be?" Whitcomb asked.

"Okay, son. Why don't you just drop your weapon?" Sam advised, ignoring the man.

"No way. I drop it-he kills me," came the response.

"Kid, you'd best do what this man says," Whitcomb stated as Lou helped Jimmy to his feet.

"Shut up," Kid snapped emotionally.

"Sam, Kid ain't done nothin' wrong. He's protecting himself," Jimmy said and Sam nodded that he understood.

"Kid, Lou told me what happened to you. That you were dragged through the streets tied to a horse cart," Sam told him.

"It doesn't matter! They let him get away with it! Sheriff Richards is friends with him!" Kid exclaimed.

"Richards is dead," Lou said.

"You're lying," Kid accused.

"No he's not. I shot him," Sam confirmed.

"Who are you anyways?" Whitcomb questioned.

"Marshal Sam Caine. And I'm taking you in," Sam replied.

"Like heck," Whitcomb snarled. He then rushed for the gun in Kid's hands. There was a brief struggle and then-a shot rang out and Whitcomb fell to the ground, clutching his chest. Kid panted. _I-I can't believe it. I just-I killed him_, he thought. He had killed his father. Well, the closest thing he had ever had to a father anyway.

"It's okay, Kid. You can drop the gun now," Sam told him gently. Numbly, Kid did as he was told.

"You're gonna be all right, Kid. Sam is a friend of mine," Jimmy soothed. Kid just nodded. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself to speak. "You can ride with me," Jimmy continued as they headed back to the sheriff's station where Jimmy's horse had been tied up and got the animal who nickered happily to see its master.

"Hey, boy. I missed you too," Jimmy said fondly. Looking back, Cody was surprised to see practically the whole town watching them. Seeing a couple, Kid headed for them.

"Kid," Richard said, nodding.

"Richard, Tulsa," Kid greeted.

"You gonna go with them?" Tulsa asked.

"Yeah, I think a change of scenery would be good for me," Kid answered. "I mean, Prosperity's not exactly a place for happy memories," he continued.

"I can understand that," Richard commented.

"You take care of yourself, Kid," Tulsa said. Then, she wrapped him in a tight hug. Kid smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Tulsa," he commented. She leaned in close.

"You're a good boy, Richard. You always have been," she whispered and then Kid continued to Jimmy's horse and climbed on.

"You got the package?" Lou asked.

"Yep. For some strange reason they never took it from me," Jimmy replied as he got on his horse and sat in front of Kid.

"Hey, Jimmy, Kid!" Richard called.

"What?" the boys asked.

"Go to Hell," Richard told them.

"Sorry, Friend. We've already been there," Jimmy responded.

"And we don't aim to come back," Kid finished. Then, Sam and the Riders marshaled their horses and the animals took off.

MONTHS LATER

"Rider comin'!" Jimmy shouted. Then, "Kid, you're up!" Kid hopped onto his horse Katie, grabbed the pouch, and galloped off. As he did so, a grin came upon his face. This was good. This was free. He was grateful for the Pony Express. For without them, he never would've escaped Prosperity.

THE END


End file.
